The In-the-Trenches Leadership Loop
Earn trust by repeatedly doing the work you ask others to do
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~ongoing to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 96%
Moore argues that owners damage culture when they leave the trenches too early. His leadership loop keeps the owner visibly connected to frontline work: originate loans, meet referral partners, cover a colleague's desk, answer calls, take out rubbish, and perform the same unpleasant tasks expected from everyone else. That behaviour turns stated standards into evidence and signals that the owner does not occupy a separate social level. Trust then deepens when visible effort is paired with material care—lunches, events, preserved perks, and a willingness for the owner to earn less before cutting employee income. Moore reinforces the loop through language, preferring “we” and “us” because the company cannot exist without the team. Repetition matters more than a single symbolic gesture.
Origin
Moore describes continuing to originate loans, covering desks, meeting Realtors, and taking out rubbish even as Loan Pronto's owner.
Core principles
- 01Leaders model every standard they set
- 02No necessary task is beneath the owner
- 03Visible contribution creates respect
- 04Care must accompany hard work
- 05The team succeeds as us rather than me
How to run it
- 1
Stay close to the work
Retain enough frontline involvement to understand what the team is experiencing and demonstrate the standards you expect.
Pro tip Use an open office or another structure that keeps the work visible.
Watch out Stepping back too early can let problems grow before the owner sees them.
- 2
Cover real gaps
When someone is sick or on holiday, step into useful work rather than merely observing the shortage.
Pro tip Choose tasks where the owner remains competent and genuinely reduces the burden.
Watch out Do not turn coverage into performative supervision.
- 3
Do the unwanted tasks
Take on ordinary work that signals no necessary contribution is beneath the leader, including simple cleanup.
Pro tip Let the act be routine rather than a staged demonstration.
Watch out One visible gesture cannot compensate for routinely avoiding difficult responsibilities.
- 4
Match effort with care
Support people through meals, events, stable compensation, and continued perks where the company can carry them. Accept that the owner may make less in a difficult period.
Pro tip Protect the things employees were promised before asking them for greater sacrifice.
Watch out Hard work without care can look like pressure rather than leadership.
- 5
Reinforce shared ownership
Describe the business as a collective effort and credit the people without whom it would not exist.
Pro tip Use we and us consistently in daily conversation.
Watch out Inclusive language rings hollow when decisions and rewards tell the opposite story.
In the wild
Moore says his office has no doors and that he sits with the team when someone is absent. He still originates loans, meets Realtors, answers incoming calls, and takes out rubbish, including during a company party. These are the same kinds of work he asks employees to perform.
→ Employees see that the standards apply to the owner as well as to them.
Common mistakes
Leaving the trenches too early
Owners can lose the pulse of a smaller company when they stop participating in the work that made it successful.
Acting above ordinary work
Refusing tasks that employees must do undermines the shared standard the leader wants them to respect.
Cutting care in hard markets
Removing compensation or every valued perk when conditions worsen weakens the loyalty built in better periods.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for owners of small or medium teams who can still participate credibly in frontline work.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal when jumping into specialised work would disrupt trained operators or create a safety or compliance risk.
From the transcript
“you're a servant leader at all times take out the trash you know do the [ __ ] that nobody else likes to do and…”
“I'll originate loans like I'll go meet with Realtors I'll do everything that I asked them to do and then some”
“I always say we I don't say I um I say us not me”
From the episode
Less is More with Roger Moore